Remnants of the Sea: Darkening Ocean
by Canadian Admiral
Summary: *Second Book in the series; Please read the first one for context* With Percy being captured by Salem and her forces, the Hunters and Huntresses of Beacon struggle to recuperate. With the arrival of four teenagers, claiming to be Percy's family, hope is brought back to the group. The battle between Ozpin and Salem only intensifies further, putting Earth and Remnant in danger. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, my dear readers! I hope that you have had a good… *checks last update* month.**

**I thank anybody who is still around, seeing as I haven't done anything on this site for quite some time. Truly, you mean a great deal to me.**

**Now, I shall leave you with nothing more than the first chapter of Remnants of the Sea: Darkening Ocean! **

"**Percy" means speech**

'**Jackson' means thought**

_***RWBY* **_**means telepathy/flashback**

Gasping harshly, dark brown eyes snapped open, frantically scanning the area around them. Pale, clammy hands went up to brush away pitch-black hair, the hair falling away. Looking around showed that he was by himself in a red forest, with the ground covered in equally scarlet leaves. And uncomfortable pressure was under his leg. Moving to stand up, he readjusted the sheath back to the side of his waist.

Orange sunlight glared in his eyes, causing the jacket-clad young man to put his hands up in an attempt to block out the rays. Rubbing his eyes, the boy took a moment to stretch, feeling his back pop and crack several times. Letting his arms fall to his side, he shook off a small chill that ran through his body.

Stretching out his senses, he felt all the shadows in the surrounding forest, created by the falling sun. 'They have to be around here somewhere.' He thought to himself. Checking to make sure that his backpack had not been torn or come loose, he began making his way through the shrubs of the forest. 'I guess that Hecate's spell wasn't as effective as she thought.

His attention was drawn to his left when, several miles away, a bolt of lightning shot straight up into the sky, crackling blue with energy. Watching as the bolt dissipated, he merely shrugged, moving in the direction of the bolt.

**-Line Break-**

A shaggy looking old man sat at an old wooden desk, his head resting against his propped up fists. His eyes, bloodshot and tired, struggled to stay open. Scanning his desk, the man glared at the paperwork that sat on it, wishing that if he glared hard enough, the entire stack would burn away. Alas, it didn't leaving him to shuffle over to the door, his cane helping him keep his balance.

Locking the door behind him, he was slightly surprised when he turned around to see one of his most trusted colleagues standing directly in front of him, two cups of steaming liquid in her hands. "I thought you could use some coffee." She said, a sad smile on her face. "You really need to start getting more sleep, Oz. You're not going to be able to do anything correctly if you pass out." She said, her tone sounding like a mother scolding a child.

"Thank you, Glynda." He said, reaching out and cupping the mug in his hands, taking a long sip from the incredibly strong coffee within. Letting the soothing feeling of the caffeine do its magic, he let out a contented sigh. "I suppose you are right. Once the Tower is up and running again, I will finally be able to get some much needed rest." He said, beginning to walk towards his quarters.

"Don't try that on me, Ozpin. You and I both know that it isn't going to be that simple." She said, her tone growing much more serious. "Not with what this all means."

Ozpin nodded his head sadly, his expression falling. "It will be a first step, Glynda. And in these trying times, that will have to suffice."

The two of them smiled sadly at one another. Glynda's eyes seemed to hold a smouldering hatred, being kept just below the surface. After the attack on Beacon, and the deaths of several students, Glynda had taken to her work, trying to avoid the guilt that she had felt. As their teacher, she should have done more to protect them.

Arriving in the designated staff section of the dorms, Ozpin bade his Deputy farewell, stepping inside his room. Flicking on the light switch, Ozpin made his way through the spartan dorm, leaning his cane against the table as he took a seat. He could feel his muscles try to melt into the cushioned furniture, weary from several days without adequate sleep. Letting a sigh of relaxation escape his mouth, his eyelids slowly drew shut. As light, even breathes began to come from the old Headmaster, he only lightly stirred when the sound of distant thunder was heard in the distance.

**-Line Break-**

Pushing through the foliage of the scarlet forest, Nico Di'Angelo let out a sigh of relief, seeing his friends huddled around a small fire in the middle of a clearing. Darkness had fallen not half an hour prior, and Nico was thankful that he wouldn't be searching around by himself. Not with those shadow creatures possibly roaming around. The clearing was slightly different from the rest of the forest. There were very few red leaves littering the ground, and half of the trees surrounding the clearing were either knocked down, or completely splintered apart.

"Ugh, Nico! There you are, Corpse-Breathe! Took you long enough to get here." His cousin, Thalia scolded playfully, poking the fire with a branch. "Couldn't you have just shadow-travelled to us, or something? We've been worried sick!" Thalia said, motioning to their companions.

Looking to the others, he saw Piper cradling Jason's head in her lap, a white bandage wrapped around his head. Seeing his questioning stare, Piper spoke up. "When we came through, we all got split up. Jason and I were tossed out above the forest. He was able to keep me from hitting the ground, but wasn't able to stop himself completely. He hit his head on a boulder coming down." Piper explained, gently combing Jason's blond hair. "He's been in and out of consciousness for the past couple hours, or so."

Looking down at his Roman cousin, Nico chuckled in his mind. 'Passed out again, eh, Grace? Is this the seventh or eighth time?' Nico thought in amusement. Pulling up one of the larger logs that had yet to be burned, Nico sat down, letting the warmth of the fire calm his nerves. Despite being a son of Hades, the shadows of this forest didn't give him any comfort. "So, what's the plan?" Nico asked, looking between his cousins.

"I say we build a log cabin, and settle down." Jason said with a groan, being helped up by Piper. Moving his left arm around to loosen up his muscles, Jason cracked his neck before taking a look at their surroundings. "Not the best location, but it'll do." He said with a grin, getting a playful smack on the back of his head from Piper.

"Not very funny, Jason." Piper grumbled, shaking her head in slight annoyance. Scanning the edges of their clearing, her expression morphed into one of business. "But seriously, what _are_ we going to do? It's not like we can just wander around the forest, hoping to bump into someone who knows where we are, let alone who Percy is."

Their group grew quiet, the sound of leaves rustling in the slight breeze overhead. "Well, whatever we do, we need to find some sort of civilization." Thalia stated, throwing another log into the fire.

"Once the sun rises, Jason can fly into the air, and see if he can spot anything. It'd be better than just walking who knows where." Nico said, taking out his sword, the black blade seeming to blend in with the surrounding shade. Reaching down to the ground, a large, black rock emerged from the earth. Plucking it up, Nico began to drag it across his blade, sharpening the already deadly weapon further, the action seemingly calming him.

The crackle of the fire mixed with the scraping of Nico's sword. Leaves continued to rustle all around them from the wind, which was slowly beginning to pick up. The sounds of various night creatures could be heard in the woods around them. The scratching of squirrels, and soft hoots from distant owls.

Stretching, Thalia began to lay down, trying to make herself comfortable. "Well, I'm going to get some rest. Make sure to have at least two people on watch, just in case." Thalia said, finally settling down.

"Why don't you get some sleep too, Piper. Nico and I can take first watch." Jason asked, nodding to his cousin. Nico didn't say anything, too lost in his own thoughts. Taking his suggestion, Piper pulled out a small sleep matt, resting by the fire.

Jason threw another log on the fire, choosing to focus on keeping it bright and alive, seeing as Nico didn't seem to be in too talkative of a mood. Tearing his eyes away from the fire, Jason stared into the starry night sky, mesmerized by the lunar phenomenon above him.

The moon, unlike the one back home, was shattered into thousands of fragments, almost forming a crescent moon with the solid portions left. Shaking his head in awe and disbelief, he scanned the tree line. It was rather surprising that nothing had come to attack them yet. With how many creatures seemed to spill from the portals that appeared back in Camp Half-Blood and near the borders of New Rome, it was almost a miracle that they had yet to encounter anything.

"I've noticed it, too." Nico suddenly said, drawing Jason's attention. "Apart from some small animals, there is nothing in the forest around us that I can sense." Nico said warily, also scanning the tree line.

Jason hummed lightly, scratching lightly at his chin. "Maybe Percy has something to do with it?" You'd said it yourself; when he attacked those creatures back at Camp, they ran away from him! From what I've seen fighting them, I don't think they've ever run from anything!" Jason said, gesturing with his hand.

"I don't know!" Nico responded, frustrated with the sheer insanity of their situation.

The two fell into another awkward silence, each trying to come to grips with what they had to do, now that they were in this unknown world. The wind, which had now slowed into a light breeze, rustled the trees, causing the branches to sway about. The gentle and quiet noises of nighttime critters did nothing to soothe the frazzled minds of the demigods

**Dear lord, that was difficult near the end. **

**I have always seemed to struggle with meaningful dialogue, so hopefully it didn't come off as too stilted and awkward. **

**I know this is a much shorter chapter than what I usually post, but I just wanted to get this out before one month of not posting turned into two. I have been having a particularly bad case of writer's block for the opening chapters of this story, and Shadow of Beacon has been giving me trouble. I won't abandon it, but it may not get updates frequently. I was only able to get this out due to a **_**lot**_** of forcing myself to do it.**

**But enough about that. How was the chapter? Did you enjoy it? If so, consider favouriting and/or following the story so you know when I **_**do**_** update. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please leave a review, or send me a PM. Just keep everything to at **_**least **_**PG. Anything more and you just make yourself look like a child.**

**Since that's all, this is Canadian Admiral signing off.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, my dear readers. How have you all been? I hope everyone is having a happy holiday, and here's to a better New Year!**

**I am so pleased at how most, if not all, of you seemed to enjoy the first chapter. *insert standard thankful words here* I thank everyone who has favourited/followed the story, as well as everyone who has reviewed it. **

**And now, here is the newest instalment of Remnants of the Sea: Darkening Ocean!**

"**Percy" means speech**

'**Jackson' means thought**

_***RWBY* **_**means telepathy/flashback**

The cool Autumn breeze wafted through the air, with it came several scarlet, yellow, and orange leaves, their seemingly warm colours contradicting the cold of the season. Taking a deep breathe, Jaune slowly exhaled, watching as the leaves were blown away, quickly drifting out of sight.

Standing from his spot on a bench, he stretched slightly, earning a few small pops from his back. Putting his hands in his pockets, he began to make his way back to the hotel him and his team had been staying at. Pyrrha, bless her heart, had used her vast wealth from being a tournament champion to pay for their lodging for the past month or so.

'Pyrrha.' Jaune thought happily. Since her confession, only possible due to her thinking she was going to her death, the two of them had gotten much closer as a result. Looking back, it almost pained him to think of how much he had either blown her off, or hurt her feelings, all due to his own ignorance and infatuation with Weiss. 'But no more!' Jaune thought, with a renewed resolve. He was determined to make up for all that he'd done.

Coming up to the hotel, Jaune couldn't help but smile. Whilst it was small by the standards of Vale proper, it was easily the most high-end hotel on the island of Patch. Walking inside, his good mood was shattered, as it always was when he entered the building. Filling the lobby of the hotel were dozens of people, clothing looking evermore ragged as the days went on. Each family seemed to have carved out a small area of the large lobby for themselves.

Since the attack on Vale and Beacon, those who had had their homes damaged or destroyed were being housed in hotels and motels all across the Kingdom. The robots hadn't caused a massive amount of damage to the city, but when one factored in that two of the Atlesian battleships had crashed in and around residential areas of the city, one could easily see why so many were displaced.

Seeing the small children huddling around their parents always brought Jaune's thoughts back to his family. Although he had intended to contact them, he had no idea what he would even say. His mother would no doubt smother him in hugs if he met them in person, and then give him the longest and fiery lecture in the history of Remnant, with his father watching on. He would most definitely get a series of bone-snapping hugs from his sisters, which is totally deserved, considering how he left them all.

Stepping into the elevator, we took one last sad scan of the lobby, hearing the whining of several newborns, the doors closed, leaving him in silence as he was lifted up to the fifth floor. Stepping out of the elevator, Jaune made his way over to the room which he and Pyrrha shared, with Ren and Nora's being right across the hallway. Opening the door using his scroll, he heard the lock click, reminding him of Beacon.

Pushing the door open, he stepped into the room. Though the furnishing was standard amongst the rooms, it was still rather nice, with two queen beds, several small appliances, and a bathroom. The curtains were closed, leaving the room rather dark, despite the light from outside.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune called out, receiving no reply. Walking over to his bed, he noticed that Milo and Akouo were missing from the room. Sighing, he walked back out to the hallway, making his way over to the stairwell. Quickly climbing the stairs, he pushed open the door to the roof of the hotel. Stepping into the cool air, Jaune simple gazed sadly at his partner, who was drenched in sweat, and furiously practicing some series of movements, gasping heavily, barely able to catch her breathe.

When he stepped out onto the roof, he had merely gotten a quick glance from Pyrrha, who proceeded to continue her training. Jaune didn't say anything, leaning against the door as he watched the champion work herself until she was near collapse. Pushing himself off from the door, he walked over to Pyrrha, who had finally stopped her slashing for a quick breather. "Pyrrha." Jaune simply said, his voice conveying the sadness he felt. Pulling her into a gentle hug, he simply held her against him. "You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened." Jaune said, rubbing her back.

Pyrrha didn't immediately reply instead just standing in his embrace. "I can't, Jaune." She finally said, voice barely above a whisper. "I should've been able to stop her." Pyrrha said, her voice shaking slightly as she grew louder. "If I'd defeated Cinder, then Percy wouldn't have had to…" her voice broke off into strangled sobs, her entire posture swaying back and forth.

Her legs finally gave out, exhausted from spending the entire day training. Holding Pyrrha up, he slowly lowered the two of them down to the ground. Pyrrha was barely holding back the flood of emotions that threatened to envelop her. "Shhh. It's okay, Pyrrha." Jaune whispered, patting the girl. "It's going to be okay."

"I-I could have saved him." She cried, grasping at Jaune, as if his presence was her lifeline. "I should have been stronger."

Jaune simply let the redhead cry herself out, continuing to hold her in his arms. He felt as her tears soaked his sweater, but didn't bother to comment. It wasn't important right now. The two of them stayed there for what felt like hours to Pyrrha. Her sobs eventually turned into sniffles, until the girl finally went quiet all together.

"Hey." Jaune said, nudging the girl lightly, causing her to look up at him. "It wasn't your fault. You did all that you could have." Jaune assured, staring into the sparkling emerald eyes of his partner. Holding her head to his chest, he looked off into the sky. "We will get him back, do you hear me?" Jaune asked, feeling Pyrrha nod sadly.

The two of them stayed like that for several minutes, with Pyrrha taking comfort in Jaune's arms surrounding her. Once her tears had finally dried up, she, regretfully, broke their hug, attempting to stand on shaky legs. Helping her steady herself, Jaune picked up Pyrrha's sword and shield, which she had dropped sometime in their embrace. "Come along. You should get washed up." Jaune smiled sadly, hefting the sturdy weapons.

Slowly making their way back down to their room, they opened the door, finding it as empty as when Jaune had arrived. Setting down Milo and Akouo, Jaune watched as Pyrrha quickly grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Laying down on his bed, he felt the stress of the day seem to seep away into the overly soft mattress. A knock on the door drew his attention. Before he could rise from his bed, the door unlocked with a click, opening to let Nora to burst in, leaving Ren standing in the doorway, two plastic bags held in his hands.

"Hi, Jaune!" Nora said, quickly, rushing over to the curtains, tearing them open to let the fading daylight into the room. "Where were you? We stopped by earlier, but no one was here! It was almost like you both disappeared!" Nora said in her typical rapid fire manner.

Ren simply walked over to the room's small table, setting the bags down. "We went and picked up something to eat." Ren stated calmly, handing a small container to Jaune, one for himself in his other hand.

Thanking the other male in their group, Jaune slowly ate the noodles, content to chat with Nora and Ren. Soon, Pyrrha stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a white blouse, scarlet sweater, and black jeans, her hair in its ever present ponytail, but without her headpiece. "Oh, I didn't hear you come in." Pyrrha said, lightly surprised, though not displeased.

"Yeah, we wanted to talk, and go out an do something. Me and Renny went for a stroll already, but that was boring, so I thought 'hey, we should get you two and go somewhere'! What do you think?" Nora buzzed, having finished her three boxes of noodles long ago. "We should go and see how Ruby and Yang are doing! We haven't visited them in _soooo_ long!"

"Nora," Ren started, voice as steady as ever. "We were just there last week."

Jaune and Pyrrha couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at Nora's overly dramatic reaction, flopping onto her back, as if drained of all energy.

Humming to himself, Jaune nodded lightly. "Well, Ruby _was _saying that she was getting rather bored. Maybe we could pick her up, and all go watch a movie together, tomorrow?" Jaune suggested, looking at the rest of his team for their opinion.

"Yeah! Let's go! It's time to smash this popsicle stand!" Nora cheered. Ren simply nodded, a small smile on his face.

Pyrrha's face lightened slightly at the mention of their group's youngest member. "That sounds lovely, Jaune." Pyrrha said with a smile.

Their group continued to talk well after sunset, with Jaune retelling stories of his childhood, and Nora regaining them with grand tales of her and Ren's past, with Ren stepping in to correct the overly dramatic descriptions of his partner every couple sentences.

To the teenagers, it almost felt like it had before the assault on Beacon happened.

**-Line Break-**

Jason, Thalia, and Nico all marched along, following after Piper, who held Katoptris in her hands. "Piper, stop!" Jason finally called, halting their column. Thalia and Nico plopped to the ground, content to let the other two talk, and let themselves rest. "You said you knew where to go, but you haven't explained anything." Jason said, exasperated. "Where are we headed?"

"I told you all, Katoptris showed me where to go!" Piper replied, gesturing to her dagger. All she received in reply were sceptical looks from the other demigods. Rolling his eyes, she continued. "When I woke up, I thought that if I looked in Katoptris, it would show me if Percy was okay, or something! But when I did, it was like I was soaring across this forest, until I arrived at what looked like a modern palace. There were gardens and large hallways all around a tall tower. Then the vision focused up at the tower, where Percy looked like he had tackled someone out of the top window, and was trying to beat them to Hades on the fall down!" Piper said, trailing off.

Nico immediately became interested. "Then what happened?" The Son of Hades asked, with the children of Zeus nodding along.

Piper gained a sheepish look, avoiding their gazes. "That's the thing. I was thrown out of the vision before I saw what happened." Piper replied, much to the frustration of the rest of their group.

Stepping back, Jason sighed frustrated. "And how big was this tower?" He asked.

Piper gained a thoughtful look, trying to remember its size. "Well, I can't say for sure, but it looked much larger than anything in New Rome." She responded, with Jason nodding.

"I'll be back in a moment." Jason said, quickly taking off into the sky. Flying well above the clouds, Jason was given a view well off into the distance. Scanning in every direction, he couldn't see much beyond red treetops, before eventually fading into a deep green. Slowly lowering himself to the ground, he lightly shook his head, causing the others to deflate, hoping that he had seen this tower. That was, until an idea flashed through his mind. "Piper, in your vision, was there a forest around the palace?"

Piper only took a moment to reply. "Well, yes."

"And was it green?"

Piper remained rather confused. "Yeah, it was. Why?"

Her question only caused a smile to break out on the Roman's face. "Because," Jason replied, glancing in the direction he had seen them. "When I was in the sky, I saw that the forest eventually turned from red to green. If we get out of this forest, then we will be at least a little closer to finding where Percy was in your vision!"

Grins broke out across everyone else's face, happy at the fact that they actually had a direction to go now, instead of aimlessly wandering through an oddly coloured forest.

Jumping to her feet, Thalia grabbed Piper and Jason in each hand. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a move one!"

They all quickly made after her, beginning their trek out of this bloody forest.

**-Line Break-**

Ozpin collapsed back into his chair, letting his eyes rest for just a moment. Staring at the endlessly complicated papers from the Council of Vale never failed to tire him out. Their senseless demands for more jurisdiction over Beacon, and calls for him to be sacked, and replaced as Headmaster by one of their puppet hunters. It was taking all of his political favours to keep them at bay.

A knock on his door thankfully drew his attention away from the paperwork. "Come in." Ozpin called, too tired to get up and open the door. These past few weeks, it really felt as if his age was catching up with him. Both physically and mentally.

The door opened to show one of the few people who Ozpin could consider a "friend". "Hey, Oz." Qrow shuffled inside, shutting the door behind him. Seeing the slumping figure of the Headmaster, Qrow laughed gruffly. Looking up at the grizzled Huntsman, Ozpin could feel a migraine coming. Whether it was from Qrow or the paperwork, he didn't know. "Looks like you could use a drink." Qrow said, jokingly, offering his flask to the elderly man.

"Qrow, I have spent many lifetimes doing nothing but drinking, and I'm not going to even risk starting again." Ozpin said, trying not to eye the drink. Qrow nodded, a small smile on his face, before it turned more serious. "Now, what was it that you needed?"

Qrow leaned against the wall, taking a swig of his flask. "Just wanted to tell you that Glynda and I finished our rounds clearing out Grimm around Beacon in the Emerald Forest." Qrow reported, massaging his wrist. "Glynda said she found a nest of Deathstalkers near the cliffs. I, on the other hand, had to deal with one of those little squid Grimm. Little bastard managed to fuse a pair of Taijitus together. One of the heads got a lucky hit in on my wrist. Didn't survive much longer after that." Qrow said, scowling at the wall.

"That's good. I'd hate to see what would have happened had someone come across them during Initiation." Ozpin said, nodding tiredly, staring down at the accursed paperwork.

Qrow pushed himself off the wall, making his way to the door. "Bart and Peter said that they were going out in a few hours or so." Qrow said, opening the door. "Oh, and Oz?" You best get some rest before Glynda finds you. She won't be nearly as forgiving on you working yourself to death as I am. And you know how she can get when she's frustrated.".

Both men had to suppress a shudder that crawled up their spines. As Qrow left, he shut the door behind him, leaving the aged Ozpin behind. Sitting back in his chair, Ozpin massaged his temples, sighing deeply. 'Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a quick nap.' Ozpin thought to himself, lowering the lights, easing his burning eyes. 'Yes, rest would be nice.'

**And that is it for chapter 2! Hope you all enjoyed.**

**If any of you are confused at what Grimm Qrow was talking about, it was this little land-based squid thing that appeared in the manga. It fused a group of four King Taijitus together, making this hydra-esque creature. It doesn't actually have an official name, so I just didn't bother. Check it up if you want to; its actually a rather interesting concept of a Grimm.**

**So, I wasn't really sure about the roof scene with Jaune and Pyrrha in this. If you can't tell, I'm going to be trying to have Pyrrha have something akin to survivor's guilt. Hopefully it turns out well.**

**I have received some questions as to what will happen to Shadow of Beacon, and I might put up one or two more chapters before putting it on hiatus until I fully finish this series. I will be putting up a poll on my account to help me decide, so go vote there, if you may.**

**So, what did you think overall? Did you find it repulsive? I hope not. But if you **_**did**_** find it enjoyable, please consider following and/or favouriting this story so that you know when I update. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please consider leaving a review or a PM. I respond to all PMs eventually, and reviews really help gauge readers' reactions on the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello to all! How has your holidays been? Mine have been rather swell, and I feel rather relaxed. **

**I would just like to remind everyone that the poll on what I should do with Shadow of Beacon is up on my profile, so please head on over to cast your vote. I am honest unsure of what to do, so this will help greatly. **

**Now, with that done, I present to you Chapter 3 of Remnants of the Sea: Darkening Ocean!**

"**Percy" means speech**

'**Jackson' means thought**

_***RWBY* **_**means telepathy/flashback**

Ruby sat in her room, staring out from her window. She watched as leaves continued to fall to the ground around their cabin home. Taking a deep breath, she stood from her bed, walked down the hall, and gently knocked on her sister's door. "Yang?" She asked hesitantly. After no immediate reply, Ruby timidly opened the door, peeking in. "Yang?"

"Go away, Ruby." Came the tired response of the blonde-haired girl. Poking her head into the room, Ruby watched as Yang's slumped form continued to stare at the wall, not even bothering to reprimand Ruby for staying.

Ruby opened the door just a little bit further, stepping halfway through the doorframe. "I, uh, just wanted to tell you that JNPR is going to be coming over today, soon, and just thought that you'd maybe like to join us?" Ruby asked, trying to keep herself from getting her hopes up too much. Yang didn't reply, just letting silence hang in the air. "Please? Everyone is worried about you." Ruby pleaded.

Yang continued to stare at the wall, her remaining hand grasping the bedsheets tightly. "No." Yang replied quietly, sounding just as defeated as the day Ruby woke up. "Tell them I'm too tired right now." Yang said, briefly glancing to see the saddened figure of Ruby. Ruby nodded, knowing that she couldn't force Yang to hang out with them.

Softly closing the door behind her, Ruby padded downstairs. The house seemed so empty since returning from Beacon. Maybe it was because she was used to always being surrounded by her friends, or maybe it was Yang's mood rubbing off on her, but no matter what, she always felt like the room lacked any warmth.

Sitting down on the couch, Ruby smiled when Zwei seemed to appear beside her, jumping onto her lap from somewhere. He curled up on her legs, pressing his tiny body against her, nuzzling his snout against her stomach. Ruby smiled, petting the small corgi. Zwei growled happily in satisfaction, settling onto her lap. Zwei seemed to be able to always bring a smile to her face, no matter the situation.

Ruby sat there, simply letting the breathing of the dog to distract her from the seemingly suffocating aura about the house. Glancing out the front window, she was greeted by the sight of four coloured teens making their way up the path to the house. Smiling, she slowly stood up, much to the disappointment of Zwei, who waddled his way after Ruby to the door.

Opening the door, she ushered the team inside, shivering at the cold breeze that followed them in. "Hey, Ruby! How's it going?" Jaune asked, giving the small girl a hug.

Ruby gave him a sad smile, shrugging briefly. Jaune and the others seemed to get the idea fairly quickly. They all smiled as Nora plucked Zwei up, who had been jumping up on her leg. "And how are _you_ doing, huh?" Nora squealed, holding the smiling dog above her. Zwei responded with a simple bark. They all chuckled as Nora began to go on one of her usual sugar-induced tangents, talking about how she could speak with dogs, until Ren eventually stepped in to have her put the corgi down.

As he was doing that, Pyrrha, Jaune, and Ruby made their way into the kitchen, with Ruby handing them some soda pop from the fridge. "How is everything in Vale going? You said that you were going to help protect shuttles ferrying people to and from the Kingdom last time you were here." Ruby asked curiously, taking a slow sip from her drink.

Pyrrha, who had been lightly smiling, seemed to droop, as if the topic physically weighed on her. "We tried to apply, but because the CCT is down, we couldn't prove that we were actually Huntsman." Pyrrha explained, taking a seat at the table.

"What!?" Ruby exclaimed, looking between the two. "But I thought that they needed as many people as possible to help out?"

"They do." Jaune said, staring at the floor. "It's just that no one trusts anyone anymore, and that they "weren't going to put the lives of dozens of people in the hands of children"." Jaune went on, scowling. Taking a long gulp of his drink, Jaune sighed, glancing up at Ruby. "Can't exactly say that I blame them, but its just frustrating is all."

They fell into silence, with the other half of JNPR walking in. Nobody said anything for several minutes, instead just hearing the wind blowing outside. Nora was the first one to speak up. "Soooooo, we should be going soon if we want to make it to the movie theatre, right?". Ren raised an eyebrow, glancing down at his hyper partner, a surprised look in his eyes, as did everyone else. "_Whaat?_ I can be punctual when I want to be!"

Everyone shared amused smiles, making their way to the front door, chatting lightly. Their conversation was disturbed when the sounds of someone scrambling around upstairs drew their attention. JNPR all looked to Ruby, seemed equally as confused. Glancing up the staircase, Ruby barely managed to jump back before she was bowled over by Qrow nearly flying down the stairs.

"Ah!" Ruby shouted, falling back, Jaune catching her before she could hit the ground. "Uncle Qrow! What are you doing?!"

Qrow gave a brief glance at the group of teens, noting how they looked ready to chase after him if he asked for their help. "Nothing, kiddo. Oz just needs me at Beacon." Qrow rattled off quickly, slipping out the door and taking off running down the pathway to Patch.

They watched as Qrow left in a hurry, all equally as confused as the next. "What was that about?" Jaune asked, glancing at Ruby, who just shrugged.

"I don't know. He's been coming and going for the past few weeks to make sure we're all alright. He says that Ozpin has been having do a lot of missions, lately." Ruby explained, looking between her friends, and down the path, where Qrow had disappeared from sight.

"We should follow him." Pyrrha stated, staring down the path. "If it really wasn't anything important, then he wouldn't have left so quickly." Pyrrha explained. "Something is going on at Beacon."

**-Line Break-**

The group of four broke through the tree line. The climb up the cliff side was relatively easy, with Jason and Thalia flying Piper and Nico up to the top. Standing at the edge of the trees, they all stared up at the "palace" that Piper had described seeing.

Many smaller towers surrounded one large, central tower. Pillars were arranged around a central courtyard, with what looked like a statue of someone in the middle. A stone walkway led into the main portion of the building. However, the entire area looked like it had been the central area of a war zone, with pillars being reduced to rubble, entire areas of the grassy field around the courtyard being torn up, and braces having been put up on several towers to keep them up.

However, what drew their attention the most, even more than the field, which looked as if it had been struck by an earthquake, was the feeling of godly magic. The feeling was heavy in the air, as if a god had decided to strike the ground around them.

"Do you guys feel that?" Thalia asked, shivering at the intensity of it. Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to effect them simply by the wisps of magic that remained.

"Yeah." Nico replied, drawing his sword. "It almost feels like when I was around my dad's sword.". The others shivered at the thought, knowing the damage it could inflict if in the wrong hands.

Jason, having drawn his gladius, glanced at his friend. "That powerful?" He asked. He thankfully never had had to meet Hades on the battlefield, and hoped he never had to. He had never felt the power of Hades' blade, but assumed that it would be much more powerful than this.

Nico's face scrunched up slightly. "Well, not exactly. Whatever this is, it is much, much older dad's sword."

At the confused glances of the Roman and his girlfriend, Thalia decided to fill them in. "In between Kronos' attacks on Camp and Manhattan, Persephone had gone behind Hades' back to have the sword made, so that Hades would be the most powerful of the Big Three. Nico, Percy, and I were recruited to get it back after one of Kronos' agents stole it." Thalia explained. "Whatever is causing this is far older. Hades' sword is only a year or two old."

The two demigods nodded slowly, interested in the tale. As they made their way into the main area of the courtyard, the feeling only seemed to intensify, almost becoming heavy enough to choke the teens.

"So, now that we are actually here, what are we going to do?" Piper asked, glancing around, trying to spot anyone who may be walking about.

Thalia was the first to respond. "Well, you said that you saw Percy falling from that tower, right?" Thalia asked, pointing to the tallest of the towers. Piper nodded, glancing at her knife. "Well then, I say we go over and see if we can't find out anything as to where Percy is." Thalia reasoned, looking at her friends. "Any objections?"

Receiving none, they quickly made their way through the courtyard, careful to watch for anyone walking around the palace. Oddly enough, the group hadn't seen much of anyone. It was almost like the entire place had just been abandoned. Walking through the large archway leading to the main tower, none of them lowered their guard, with weapons held at the ready. With every step, the aura in the air seemingly began to lift. Whether this was due to them getting farther away, or some other reason, they hadn't a clue.

As they entered into the inner compound of the palace, and the area around the tower, the ground looked even more torn up then before. The base of the tower looked like it was barely keeping up the rest of the structure. Large gashes were raked all across the silver surface, with massive portions of the outer layer having been torn away, and strangely, a long, thin gash running down the tower from about halfway up the tower down to the base. Even as they approached it, they vaguely noticed a particular spot near the tower. The stone path surrounding the base of the tower was severely cracked and smashed. The foliage around the spot was also dead, as if having been poisoned.

"What do you think happened here?" Jason asked, scanning all the damage around them. Trees were uprooted, a large swath of grass was dead or torn up, and the very top of the tower looked as if it had also sustained a decent amount of damage.

Piper shook her head lightly. "I have no clue. The tower wasn't _this_ beat up in my vision." Piper stated, gesturing to the tower's scars.

"Do you think that this was maybe Percy?" Jason asked, inspecting the field.

Thalia and Nico shook their heads. "Percy wouldn't have done something like this." She said, staring at the tower.

"Percy wouldn't have been able to make those gashes in the tower, anyway." Nico chimed in. "It looks like something huge made those marks. A drakon version of those shadow creatures, maybe?" Nico suggested.

Their musing was interrupted by the boisterous laugh of a rather portly older man, who was making his way through the inner courtyard, along with a tall, thin man with spiked green hair.

"I can't believe that were nearly grabbed by that Deathstalker, Bart! Perhaps your age has started to catch up with you!" The man said, slapping the back of his associate, causing the thinner man to stumble slightly. The teens scrambled to find a place to hide, but couldn't, with the area being rather flat and barren.

As they continued to make their way to the group, they noticed the demigods standing near the base of the tower. The taller man's glasses seemed to glint in the light, making it impossible to see where he was looking. "Excuse me, children," the green-haired man began, coming to a stop, as did his companion. "But would you tell me what you are doing here? All students should remain in Vale until repairs have concluded." The man said, talking so fast that the teens had trouble even figuring out what he had said.

The older man, who had previously been smiling, seemed to stare at them, despite no one being able to see his eyes on account of his bushy eyebrows, and large moustache. "Whilst I admire your want to learn, I think you should head back to the city." He said. His face seemed to scrunch up in mild confusion, before moving to his companion.

Whispering something that the teens couldn't hear, the taller man gave one last look at them, nodded, and reached into his pocket. "Now, children, if I may, would you all please put down your weapons?" He asked politely. His tone, though sounding reasonable, gave away the fact that he didn't believe they would.

The demigods looked between themselves, seemingly coming to a decision. "Look, chubby, that's not going to happen." Thalia stated, holding her spear tightly. "Now, we have some questions that we want answered, so it will be best to just follow along.". The others glanced at her worriedly, concern flashing in their eyes.

The tall man pulled a small, white device out of his pocket, and pushed a button, pressing it up to his ear. Piper stepped forward, putting on the most innocent smile she could. "Oh, don't mind us. We were just looking for a friend of ours. Can you help us?" Piper asked happily, putting her Charmspeak to work.

The men paused for a moment, with looks of confusion crossing their faces. The large man scrunched his face in bewilderment, staring at the teens. Shaking his head hard, the man grabbed hold of what looked like a battle axe strapped to a pirate shotgun. "I'm not sure who you are, or what you intend to do, but I can't allow you to go unchecked." The man stated, hefting his weapon. "Bart, call Ozpin. He should know that we have visitors."

The man nodded, going to bring the device to his head again. That was, until a small bolt of lightning shot from Thalia's spear, striking the device, and frying it. The green haired man shook his hand, reacting to the sudden shock. "Do you think you will be alright, Peter?" The man asked, scanning the teens, who were getting ready for an attack.

The short man simply laughed, as if the tall man – Bart – had told an amusing joke. "Bartholomew, though I am not as young as I used to be, I am still able to deal with some unruly children!" He stated happily, smiling yet again. "Besides," the man said, turning back to the demigods. "It is about time that I teach them why I am called "The Baron"!"

The green haired man gave them one last look over, before shrugging. "Don't hurt them too badly, Peter. The last thing we need is assault charges." The man mumbled. With a burst of speed that seemed impossible due to his frame, the tall man was gone, zipping across the field, and down a hallway.

Shaking themselves out of their shocked stupor, they turned back to the portly man. "Look, old man, we're not trying to hurt anyone. We just want some answers." Jason said, stepping forward.

"Whilst I would be more than happy to give them to you," he began, slowly walking towards them. "You will have to excuse my hesitance, seeing as a team suddenly appears on campus ground, with questionable intent, and attacking a professor." The man explained, stopping as the teens began to spread out. "Now, if you would just kindly wait here, then this will all be much easier."

They all looked at one another, silently debating whether or not to comply. If they waited, they _could_ get the answers they were looking for, but they could equally be thrown into prison. If they chose to fight their way out, then they would become wanted criminals, and likely tracked down.

Slowly lowering their weapons, the man looked oddly surprised. "We will speak to whoever Ozpin is, but we will not give up our weapons." Thalia said, staring down the man, almost daring him to disagree.

The man looked equal parts relieved and disappointed at the fight not happening, but stepped back to give the teens space. The group of four spent the next few minutes staring at one another. The demigods examining the area for possible ambushes and escape paths, and the older man studying their forms and weapons. Something about Nico and Thalia's weapons that drew his attention in particular. It didn't take long for the green haired man to return, another man by his side.

The new figure was quite tall, standing well over six-and-a-half feet tall. He walked using a cane, though he didn't appear to actually need it. His hair was silver, a small pair of glasses on his face, and a green scarf tucked into his black suit. His brown eyes seemed to hold an inherent warmth to them, but also carried a hardness that only came with years of war. His face was neutral, studying them all intensely.

He paused, standing beside the fat man, his glasses glinting in the fading light. The two "professors" flanked him on either side behind him. They all stared at one another, waiting for the other to speak first. Finally, "Ozpin" broke the silence between the two groups.

"So, I hear that you have some questions for me?"

**I know, I know. I can hear you all groaning. **

**I know that many of you were hoping for a big showdown between Ozpin and associates against the Demigods, but in this case, I felt that it was unnecessary. It would have been a blast to write the demigods fighting Port, but given the contexts of the situation, thought that it wouldn't really add much. Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought that was what was going to happen.**

**Anyway, just a quick reminder that I have a poll going on my profile, on the immediate fate of Shadow of Beacon. I'm just not sure what I want with it right now, so some reader input would be appreciated. Head on over there, please, but you'll need to be on PC mode to do it, not mobile mode.**

**With that, I have nothing more to say. If you enjoyed, please consider following/favouriting the story. And if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please consider leaving a review, or sending me a PM. I try to always reply to PMs within a timely manner.**

**This is Canadian Admiral signing off.\**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello. I would ask that you lower any torches and/or pitchforks that you no doubt have at the ready, but I don't think I would deserve that mercy.**

**I apologize profusely for my extended leave of unexplained absence, and hope that you all can forgive me. Lord knows that I certainly don't deserve it. Life hits hard, but I will try to make some time every week to write, so that I don't leave you blue-balled on a cliff-hanger for over two months! **

**So, I have seen multiple requests for the chapters to be longer, so I will do my best to achieve that. The average length of chapters in my stories tends to be around 5k words, so I will do what I can to bump up the numbers in this story.**

**So, I have decided, as well as looking at the results of my poll, that I will be putting Shadow Of Beacon on hiatus until I am finished with this series. I don't feel that it is fair that I leave one in bated breath, waiting for something that wont come for quite some time. I know it is bound to upset at least a couple of you readers, but I hope you understand things from my perspective. I just want to keep my writing at the highest possible quality that it can be, and by shifting back and forth, I don't want to jeopardize either series just because I couldn't manage my writing time and ideas properly. Again, I am sorry.**

**Now, without further waiting, and hopefully no threats on my life, I will now let you read chapter 4 of Remnants of the Sea: Darkening Ocean!**

"**Percy" means speech**

'**Jackson' means thought**

_***RWBY* **_**means telepathy/flashback**

Silence fell across the area. None of the demigods moved, with the adults watching them for any hostile movements. Nico was the first to break from his silence. "We're just looking for a friend of ours. We think that he might be around here." Nico said plainly, trying to keep his voice from showing any of the nervousness he felt. The man – Ozpin – seemed relatively normal, but also seemed to give off a feeling of power.

Ozpin hummed, rubbing his chin lightly, a small, playful smile sprouting across his face. "Well, young man, you are going to have to be much more specific than that. This is an academy, where hundreds of students pass through these halls every year." Ozpin said, enjoying the annoyed look that crossed their faces. "Does this friend have a name, perchance?"

They all glanced at one another. After each one of them had given a nod of their heads, Nico turned back to Ozpin. "His name is Percy Jackson." Nico stated. The four teens didn't fail to notice how each of the adults stiffened, if only for a moment. At the teachers' silence, Nico continued. "Pretty tall, scraggly black hair, sea-green eyes, can't stop being annoying, yet lovable? Ring any bells?" Nico pressed, watching how each of the adults paused at his description.

The smile had fallen off of Ozpin's face, replaced by a deep frown. His eyes, though containing what seemed like regret, also contained what Nico could only think of as eagerness before his face became unreadable. Nodding his head slowly, Ozpin turned to the two men beside him. "Bart. Peter. Could you go and fetch Glynda for me? Tell her to meet me in my office." Ozpin said, getting nods from them. After a second, Ozpin added, "And call Qrow, too. He'll want to meet them."

As the two men nodded, walking in separate directions, Ozpin turned back to the teens, who had watched the exchange with wary curiosity. Ozpin had a warm smile on his face, stepping to the side with his hand outstretched. "Please, follow me to my office. We will discuss your friend there, where we will have some privacy." Ozpin said, walking away. The demigods were wary, but chose to follow him anyway. He was their best lead so far.

**-Time Skip-**

Nico, Thalia, Jason, and Piper were all sitting in front of a large wooden desk, with "Ozpin" sitting across from them, and a blonde-haired woman with a riding crop standing beside him. Paperwork was piled on top of the desk, threatening to fall over at any moment. Both of the adults were staring intensely at them, searching for something.

Ozpin leaned forward, clasping his hands together atop the desk, looking at each one of them. "Please, tell me how you know Mr. Jackson again?" Ozpin asked, though his tone left no place to refute.

Thalia, who was beginning to become fed up with the Headmaster's questions, quickly stood up, slamming her hands down on the table. Despite her physical age, she still seemed to loom heavily over the aged man, though he didn't seem all that intimidated or impressed by the girl's outburst. "Look, you old geezer! We told you that we are Percy's friends, so why don't you answer _my_ question, and tell me where in Hades he is!" Thalia shouted.

The purple-caped woman tensed as soon as Thalia stood, but remained silent at Ozpin's raised hand. "The reason I haven't yet told you is due to the reason why Mr. Jackson cannot come to confirm your claims." Ozpin said calmly, staring down Thalia, who continued to glare at the man. The rest of the demigods looked at each other with confused faces. "This Academy was recently subject to an assault by a group of rogue warriors called Huntsman." Ozpin explained, watching as Thalia reluctantly sat back down, though she still glared at him.

"During the battle, Mr. Jackson did all that he could to defend the Academy, and those inside it, but I'm afraid that he was not strong enough to fend them all off." Glynda explained, her face showing a deep sense of regret. "During the course of the battle, he was unfortunately captured saving a young student he had befriended." She said.

Mixed looks of sadness and sorrow crossed the faces, with Thalia and Nico chuckling sadly. "Got captured protecting others." Nico mused to himself, quietly. "Yeah, that's Percy.". Similar chuckles came from the rest of them demigods, all remembering various battles, where Percy would put everyone else's safety over his own.

"Do you know where he is? Or if he is even alive?" Piper asked, hope lacing her voice.

Ozpin shook his head sadly, regretting the unfortunate fate of the young demigod. Whatever hope the teens had had was seemingly crushed, causing each one to slump back in their chair at the possibility that their friend was dead. "Before I give you some time to yourselves to process this," Ozpin began, "may I get your names? We don't want a fight to break out because the staff don't know of you."

Jason, the most disciplined of the teens, spoke up. "Of course, sir. I am Jason Grace, and this is my sister Thalia." Jason stated, gesturing to the girl, who had finally let up her glare, but was still frowning due to the news about Percy. "This is Piper McLean, and Nico DiAngelo." Jason finished, pointing to the two.

Ozpin nodded, smiling sadly. "A pleasure. I wish we could have met one another upon better circumstances, but I am glad that you are all here. Percy spoke very highly of all of you. He thought that you had all perished at your camp."

Thalia abruptly stood from her chair, stalking towards the door, before slamming it open, causing the frame to creak at the force. Thalia stormed down the hallway, giving off a feeling of hatred and sadness. Thunder rumbled overhead, with dark grey clouds gathering over Beacon. Small bolts of lightning sparked across Thalia's hands, and through her hair, as she made her way through the school.

Nico, who gained a faraway gaze, seemed to fade away, melting into the shadows of the office. Ozpin and Glynda stared in shock between the two, unsuspecting of the teens' abilities. Jason, though considerably saddened by the loss of his brother-in-arms, stood strong. "If you'll excuse us, sir, but we should go after them. We don't want them doing any more damage to your school than what has happened already."

Ozpin nodded his head, allowing the blond soldier to leave. "Oh, and Jason?"

Turning back to the Headmaster, Jason schooled his facial expressions. "Yes, sir?"

"When everyone has calmed down, please find either myself, or Miss Goodwitch. We will have something for you that you will need." Ozpin said, watching as Jason and his compatriot left his office, their heads held high, and their hearts weighed down.

As the two left, closing the door behind them, silence hung in the air for several minutes. Ozpin could tell that Glynda was staring at him, waiting for the Headmaster to speak. When she couldn't take the man's silence anymore, she spoke up. "Ozpin," she started, her voice carrying a tinge of threat to it.

"I know what you are about to say, Glynda, and you are right." Ozpin said tiredly, turning to face her in his chair. "However, you must realize, if these four are as powerful as young Percy, than we may finally be able to put an end to Salem." Ozpin reasoned, already forming several plans in his mind.

Glynda breathed deeply, exhaling through her nose. Ozpin internally winced, knowing that was something she only ever did when she was truly aggravated. Usually with him. "Ozpin, I have stood by you for many years, and have always believed your judgement, but if you plan on manipulating them into fighting in your war, like you did to Percy, than you have another thing coming to you." Glynda said, the venom in her voice was palpable.

Ozpin sighed, standing from his desk to face his deputy headmistress. "I shall offer them the possibility of fighting against Salem," Ozpin began, raising his hand when Glynda went to interrupt him. "And if they decline, I shall respect that, and I will do what I can to help them get home."

Glynda narrowed her eyes at him. Her eyes were full of suspicion, and the underlying threat she held filled the room. Turning to the door, Glynda opened it with a flick of her riding crop. "How many will have to die before this ends, Ozpin?" Glynda asked, walking away.

The door shut with a soft slam. Ozpin sighed, sitting back down in his chair, staring the work he had ahead of him. 'I wonder that more often than you can imagine, Glynda.' Ozpin thought to himself. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, which was now cold, Ozpin wasn't surprised when a faint purple glow surrounded his drink. The porcelain mug quickly broke in his hand, leaving only the handle in his grasp. 'Well, that seems rather childish, Glynda.'

**-Line Break-**

Qrow landed at the foot of the Tower. Although he was in peak physical condition, flying at full speed from Patch to Beacon would wind anyone. Pausing for a few minutes, Qrow's attention was drawn to the main entrance, where Ozpin stepped out of the Tower, cane at his side. "Ah, Qrow. Good, you've arrived." Ozpin mused. "Come. We have much to discuss." Ozpin stated, walking off, leaving the grizzled Huntsman to jog to catch up.

"I got your message, Oz. You said something about "new alliances"?" Qrow asked, keeping his voice low. Despite the fact that he knew they were alone, it never hurt to be cautious to possible eavesdroppers.

Ozpin hummed lowly, glancing over to his spymaster. "Earlier this day, four teens arrived to Beacon, before ending up in a kind of standoff with Peter and Bart." Ozpin explained.

Qrow narrowed his eyes in slight confusion. "And? While the fact the school is closed, I don't see how that is important enough to call me here so quickly." Qrow responded, staring at Ozpin for an answer.

"Well," Ozpin started, "the fact that they arrived at the school by way of the cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest was something to invite suspicion, but what really drew my attention, and the reason I called you here, is because they claim to family to Mr. Jackson."

Qrow nearly stumbled in his stride, glancing over at the Headmaster. "Are you serious? I thought Percy said that they were all killed?" Qrow questioned, both shocked and worried. If these teens were telling the truth, and they were, in fact, close friends of Percy, what would they do when they learned of his fate?

"Yes, he did, Qrow. But do you also recall that young Perseus stated that he also pushed back the invading Grimm in a blind rage?" Ozpin asked. At Qrow's nod of the head, he continued on. "I believe that he truly thought that he had lost all of those he cared for, or at the very least, assumed as much when he awoke here in Remnant." Ozpin explained. The two walked around campus in silence, with Ozpin giving Qrow time to process the change of events.

"Have you told them about Percy yet?" Qrow asked, fearing either answer.

"Yes, Glynda and I explained that he was captured in the recent attack." Ozpin stated calmly, as if the prospect of four angry _demigods_ in their campus didn't give him any need for concern. "I have allowed them to go blow off steam. One of them, their possible group leader, promised not to allow any more damage to come to the school." Ozpin recounted.

Qrow's head was nearly spinning with all the information. "And you just let them go?! Who knows what they are doing right now! You just told them that their close friend is either dead or captured by the most dangerous being in the world, and just let them go? What are you thinking?!" Qrow said, struggling to keep his voice low.

"I told them that he was captured preventing your niece from sharing the same fate." Ozpin firmly corrected, fixing Qrow with a firm stare. "Though I believe that they are Percy's friends, I will not trust them with such sensitive information just yet." Ozpin elaborated.

"Good lord, Ozpin! I don't know what is worse; Telling four massively powerful teens that one of, if not their closest, friends is captured or dead, or that you aren't even telling them the whole truth! If they figure out that you are keeping something about Percy from them, well, we saw what Percy could do! Imagine what four of them can do together!"

The two had stopped walking several minutes ago. Ozpin simply let Qrow vent, knowing the man would either have to let out his stress through shouting, fighting, or a bottle. He would much rather keep his spymaster as sober as he could with the recent developments.

"I am having Glynda keep an eye on them, and when they are finished calming down, they are to come to her or myself, and I will give them scrolls. That way I will be able to keep tabs on them at all times." Ozpin said, placing his hand on the shoulder of Qrow. "I appreciate your concern, Qrow. I share many of them myself, but please have a bit of faith in me, my friend?" Ozpin asked, getting a tired nod from the man.

"You know that I will always follow you, Oz. I am just worried about what will go wrong, should things go south." Qrow sighed.

Ozpin smiled softly at Qrow, who sighed heavily. Qrow's attention was drawn to a beeping from his pocket. With furrowed eyebrows, Qrow looked at his scroll. His face quickly grew into one of dread as he read what was on his scroll. "Ruby and JNPR just arrived in Vale, and are making their way up to Beacon!"

Realization dawned across Ozpin's face. "You go meet them at the docks. Keep them there, or turn them back. We can't let them encounter Percy's friends yet. If they mention Salem, I am unsure what they will do, and we can't afford any further conflict to come between our forces now." Ozpin ordered, with Qrow already sprinting away.

Arriving at the docks within minutes, Qrow could just barely make out the form of the Bullhead making its way up to the school, full of supplies for the repair effort, and five troublesome teens. Qrow made sure to put on his most disapproving frown that he could, hoping that he could just get them to head back to Vale. He knew that he couldn't really prevent Ruby from getting into the school, what with her Semblance and all, but he was counting on her not leaving her friends to face him by themselves.

As the Bullhead docked, he watched as many workers transferred supply pallets from the airship to the loading zone, as well as five colourful teens stepping off, trying to keep out of the way of the workers. Walking up to them, it didn't take much to catch the attention of his niece, who gained a nervous look. "And what exactly are you all doing here?" Qrow asked, crossing his arms.

**-Line Break-**

Screams and shouts reverberated throughout the large stone room. The blocks had the appearance of solid black marble, with no veins of white, simply black. The material seemed to almost absorb the light of the room, casting shadows everywhere.

Blood was spattered across the floor, and pain burned through all of his head, but that wasn't what mattered most.

"You will stop this foolishness at once!" A thin, bushy moustached man shouted at him, anger burning deep within his green eyes, promising unending pain and suffering. Taking a deep, measured breath, the man turned back to his table of syringes and tools, hands working with one of the needles and liquids. "Now, I will ask once more, where are you from?". He let some of the liquid squirt out, levelling it in front of Percy.

Percy himself was standing in the middle of the room. What remained of his shirt was bloodied and in tatters. A thick chain of dark, black metal was cuffed around each of his wrists, forcing him to stand in the middle of the room, despite the ever-present exhaustion.

Percy chuckled, the action causing pain to flare up in his chest, a result of the broken rib. "Like I'd ever tell you, Tarkin. I'll never tell where the Rebel base is!" Percy stated, a smile across his face at the confusion of the man. The angered growl that came from the man only served to further deepen Percy's smile.

His smile was abruptly ripped off his face when Hazel, who had been standing behind him, took a tiny shard of yellow Dust the size of a paper clip from his pocket, the crystal giving off a static aura, and slowly slipped it in under his skin, pushing it into one of the many bleeding cuts scattered over his body. His body clenched and spasmed, with Percy barely able to get out a tortured scream. The electricity surged through him, burning the raw skin underneath his cuffs.

After leaving the demigod to suffer for a minute, Hazel dug the crystal back out of Percy's arm, widening the wound, and stopping the electrocution. Percy immediately collapsed, held up only by the chains holding each of his arms to either wall, his head falling. He barely had the strength to breathe, let alone reply in anything that was understandable. He could only vaguely feel the pinprick of the needle in his neck.

He didn't even wince. After so many needles, and the… creative persuasive implements, the needles were the least of Percy's pains. His vision swam, and his head lolled back and forth, with Percy fighting off unconsciousness. He didn't know why he wanted to stay awake, only that it was his smartest option.

"If you keep this up, we won't have anything left of him to get information out of." Percy managed to make out, Hazel's baritone voice easy to discern. Percy's coughing up of bile and blood, spitting it onto the floor with whatever strength he could muster, drew his attention back to the young man. "That is enough for today. We must take this slowly, or else we could _kill_ him." Hazel stressed, the look of understanding crossing Arthur's face.

"Ah, yes. Forgive me. You know how I get when I am on the verge of a new discovery." Watts replied, turning back to his table of instruments, cleaning off the dirty ones, and stowing them all in a small, brown leather handbag. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go and study his blood. It is simply marvellous to examine, and so much could be gained from it!" Watts said, making his way out from the dungeon.

As Hazel watched the man leave, he looked back over to the body of Percy. Percy had, by this point, passed out. Hazel couldn't exactly blame him. The amount of damage and pain which the boy had experienced in the past few weeks were astounding. It was a wonder that he hadn't been driven madder than Tyrion! He briefly heard Percy's incomprehensible mumbles, but thought nothing of them. He glanced over towards the corners of the room, where several small cameras were trained on the young warrior.

'To think, that one child could cause so much damage and trouble.' Hazel mused to himself, before following the path of his colleague, making his way out of the dungeon. Shutting the large, heavy metal door behind him, he made sure that all the locks and deadbolts were in place before walking down the hall.

At some point, the shadowy hallways of Salem's castle had frightened him deeply, though not anymore. The Queen of these walls still unnerved him, but he knew his place. As much as he knew of the boy's power, he didn't understand why his Mistress felt the need to go to such lengths to capture him. Could they have not just killed him and be done with it?

Sighing, Hazel made his way to his chambers. He would be heading out to meet with Adam and Sienna in Vale the next day, so he knew that he would need his rest. The flight from here to the White Fang headquarters was a long and tiring one. Laying down, he relaxed as he closed his eyes. His thought drifted, not to the talks with the faunus, but to the child locked in the basement.

Percy regained consciousness not too long after Hazel had left. His mind was still clouded in pain, and the many drugs and serums pumping through his blood, curtesy of Dr. Tall and posh. Hanging on the two chains holding him up, Percy left his head hanging, feeling the strain of his continued weight on his beleaguered muscles.

His throat burned with a lack of anything to drink, only staying wet with his repeated bile cough-ups, and blood. He had no sense of time in this room, only that every so often, something would come to make sure that he stayed alive, and that his Aura didn't come back to heal him.

How long had he been in here? Days? Months? Had he already lost complete track of time, and his mind was already blocking out the past to remain sane? His fogged mind held none of the answers, and all that Percy could of were his friends, his family, and Annabeth? Was this his atonement for failing to save and protect them? Or, could this be his eternal punishment, some eldritch creature from another dimension that is here to feed on his pain?

Slowly, but surely, the cracks in Percy's psyche would begin to form.

**Sorry that this is so short. I had most of this chapter written out since the beginning of February, with the intent to come back to finish it later, and only now did I make the time to do so. I had more planned for this chapter, but decided to push it back to another in the future.**

**I apologize for how short this is compared to how long you've waited, but, hopefully, I won't take another two months to post again. I can only pray that you forgive my laziness/forgetfulness.**

**How did you enjoy the chapter, after such a long wait? Did it deliver on something, or are you just disappointed in me? Feel free to leave a review and tell me what your thoughts were! Either that, or send me a PM. I always try to get back to you eventually. If you, by some miracle, did enjoy this chapter, please consider following or favouriting the story so that you know when I can entertain you again!**

**This is Canadian Admiral signing off.**


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